in seeking our eternal destiny despite apparent frustration and failure.
C.S. Lewis captures perfectly the significance of the responsibility that all disciples bear for one another’s development in this area:
It may be possible for each to think too much of his own potential glory hereafter; it is hardly possible for him to think too often or too deeply about that of his neighbor. The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it, and the backs of the proud will be broken.15
1 “Margaret Haughery,” Wikipedia (online at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Haughery, as of May 5, 2017).
2 A. D. Lindsay, “The Two Moralities,” quoted in Dorothy L. Sayers, The Whimsical Christian (New York: Collier, 1987), p. 131.
3 St. Pacian famously observed in a letter, “Christian is my name, but Catholic my surname”: “Letter 1: On the Catholic Name,” 7, in The Extant Works of St. Pacian, Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church 17 (1842), pp. 317-327 (online at http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/pacian_1_letter1.htm, as of May 5, 2017).
4 C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), p. 46.
5 Pope St. John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis (“I Will Give You Shepherds”), 40 (online at http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031992_pastores-dabo-vobis.html, as of May 5, 2017).
6 America’s Changing Religious Landscape, Pew Research Center (May 12, 2015), pp. 35 and 41 (online at http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/, as of May 5, 2017).
7 This is a very brief review. To learn more about the thresholds, please see chapters 5-8 of Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus (Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 2012).
8 Adapted from “Five Thresholds of Postmodern Evangelism,” by Doug Schaupp, 1998 (online at http://www.illinoisgcf.org/execplanning/resources/FiveThresholdsPaper.pdf, as of May 5, 2017).
9 Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, 120 (online at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html, as of May 5, 2017); cf. Apostolicam Actuositatem (Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity), 3 (online at www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html, as of May 5, 2017).
10 The Church teaches about three basic kinds of vocation: (1) the universal vocation to holiness; (2) state-of-life vocations (priesthood, religious, marriage, singleness); and (3) individual, personal vocations. In addition to a “state of life” vocation, many are also given individual, personal vocations. So, a married mother of two may also have been given a vocation to serve as a physician or as an artist, etc.
11 Pope St. John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 40.
12 Pope Pius XII, Guiding Principles of the Lay Apostolate, Second World Congress of the Lay Apostolate, October 5, 1957, emphasis added (online at https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/P12LAYAP.HTM, as of May 5, 2017).
13 Pope Pius XII, “Christians, Bearer of the Life of the Risen One,” Homily for Easter Sunday, 1952, Compendium on the New Evangelization (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2015), p. 14.
14 St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II-II, q129, a4, Objection 3 (online at http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3129.htm, as of May 5, 2017).
15 Lewis, The Weight of Glory, p. 46.
Chapter 2
Where’s the Fruit?
“By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
John 15:8
My friend “Bill” works in a Southeastern parish that recently went through yet another pastoral turnover. Bill has been the carrier of the evangelization-and-discipleship flame in his parish for years as pastors come and go. It is common practice in his diocese for members of the priest personnel board to meet with parish leadership to get a better sense of the community before making the decision about which priest to assign as pastor.
The parish’s pastoral team — staff members, finance and pastoral council — prepped for the meeting. To help everyone focus, Bill outlined several specific areas of spiritual fruit that had emerged in their parish. Everyone was encouraged to pick one area and share a story that showed how their parish was moving from maintenance to mission.
As the parish leaders told their stories to the visiting board members, many were in tears. One woman talked about how she had once only felt capable of volunteering to make sandwiches for the homeless. After growing significantly in her relationship with Jesus, she felt called by Jesus to confront the city about opening a homeless shelter.
Another man told the story of some people visiting the parish who felt the Holy Spirit descend on them when they stepped onto the parish grounds. The visitors sensed that God was asking them to move to the parish from another state because of what he desired to do there. Others talked about how they were no longer afraid to have spiritual conversations with family members and strangers. Many talked about how the community needed to go out of the parish and learn how to better proclaim Jesus.
One person reported hearing from Protestant friends who said, “They have their eye on us.” Another individual shared how she had left the Church and was hurt and upset with the Church. She attended Mass at the parish and was welcomed in an extraordinary way. As a result, she underwent a conversion, was discipled in the parish, and is now a staff member.
The stories went on and on. One of the visiting board members openly wept and said that she felt like she had just been on a retreat experience. Bill told me afterward that he did not have to say a single word.
Toward A Culture of Discipleship
Bill’s story shows the remarkable changes that a parish and its people can experience when there are many disciples,
